I realize that they're very different beasts, but any idea of what to expect if the best headphones I've heard/owned are Denon D2000s? I'm kind of unable to wear phones that go over my head/ears because I'm sensitive to things resting on my head/against my temples, which is part of why I'm going into the midrange IEM space now with the W4s (should be here within the next few days from earphonesolutions!). Will the W4s sound better than the D2000s, just different, or possibly not quite as good?

I realize that they're very different beasts, but any idea of what to expect if the best headphones I've heard/owned are Denon D2000s? I'm kind of unable to wear phones that go over my head/ears because I'm sensitive to things resting on my head/against my temples, which is part of why I'm going into the midrange IEM space now with the W4s (should be here within the next few days from earphonesolutions!). Will the W4s sound better than the D2000s, just different, or possibly not quite as good?

Hi guys, just began this audio journey of mine! Stumbled onto head-fi when i was reseaching on beats by dr dre (which unknown to me, was blasphemy to the general public of head-fi ). Fast and.. i got the westone 4s a week ago! Just want to say thank you to everyone, especially HPA for his wondefully detailed reviews. Coming from ibuds, i never knew music could sound this good!

im no expert, but i did a/b these two iems before i decided on the w4s. the w4s are a bit more fun and involving. the sm3s are a bit more analytical and neutral-sounding. both are great, but it depends on your what you generally listen to. to my ears (your opinion may differ) the sm3 have a similar sound signature to the um3x. i prefer the w4s for rock and pop (e.g skid row, motley crue and lady gaga) whch makes up 80% of my music library so i went for them. my girlfriend generally listens to classical music, instrumental pieces and slower music (e.g elton john, kenny g, john lennon) so she decided to get the sm3s. they both sound great imho, but the kind of music you prefer will most likely be they key factor to your decision. im just a beginner when it comes to audio, but there are plenty of great reviewers out there. i always liked HPA's reviews, incredibly detailed and informative. here are some of his impressions on the w4.

I wonder if W4 would be an upgrade for UM3X? The only two things I do not like about UM3X are tiny sound stage and rolled off highs. How W4 can be compared to UM3X in those two aspects? I also do not want to loose bass quality of UM3X.

I wonder if W4 would be an upgrade for UM3X? The only two things I do not like about UM3X are tiny sound stage and rolled off highs. How W4 can be compared to UM3X in those two aspects? I also do not want to loose bass quality of UM3X.

The W4 fixes all these downfalls of the UM3x. The mids are not as forward in the W4 though, but they are more refined IMO. The bass of the W4, while not having as much quantity, is more refined as well and much more controlled.

I see that you had SM3 in the past as well as UM3X. How is SM3 comparing to W4? If you wanted to step from UM3X why would you prefer W4 vs SM3? Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by EraserXIV

The W4 fixes all these downfalls of the UM3x. The mids are not as forward in the W4 though, but they are more refined IMO. The bass of the W4, while not having as much quantity, is more refined as well and much more controlled.

Received mine yesterday and the funny thing is, when I first stuck them in I was really disappointed! There is no WOW factor but what you find over some listening hours is that they are supremely balanced and neutral. No one aspect of the sound spectrum over powers the other. These are extremely detailed and smooth.

Bass is well textured and controlled but could use a bit more sub bass presence. Mids are perfect for me. Just a bit forward and liquid. Treble is amazingly extended without a hint of fatigue. Somehow they achieve great detail while being smooth. Very impressive. The more you listen the better they seemingly get.

What is up with Westone putting this horribly short nozzle on their flagship? It makes it very tip dependant and none of the stock tips work. Many are using the olives, which are second best for me. The best are the old Shure e2c black soft flex sleeves with a large sound hole. You have to mod them to fit, using an olive core but completely worth it. Bass is better than the olives without obscuring any high end detail.

edit: Just want to say a big thank you to Earphone Solutions for their upgrade policy and outstanding customer service.Edited by shotgunshane - 4/2/11 at 3:19pm

I see that you had SM3 in the past as well as UM3X. How is SM3 comparing to W4? If you wanted to step from UM3X why would you prefer W4 vs SM3? Thanks!

It depends on your preferences. The SM3 is much thicker and more mid/bass centric than the W4. The W4 is very balanced in comparison. The SM3 is a bit more engaging and upfront ("musical?") while the W4 is more of a do-nothing-wrong, perfectly balanced IEM. It's not to say the W4 is boring though, it is far from it, the SM3 just seems more exciting in comparison.

I wanted to say that the more I listen to the W4 the more I'm impressed. I don't know about the whole 'burn in' argument but either my ears are getting better with the nuances of the W4 or they do burn-in a bit. I'm really impressed, especially since I've been comparing other great canalphones like the RE0. The RE0 is an amazing canalphone for $80, but as amazing as it's details are the W4 really blows it out of the water, which might be expected for the price difference of $370 but in my opinion is absolutely worth the extra cash.